Fiat 500 Abarth gains optional automatic transmission

The Fiat 500 Abarth is expected to gain a six-speed automatic transmission starting in 2015.

Handout, Chrysler

by
Nick Tragianis | April 7, 2014

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Until now, the Fiat 500 Turbo and Abarth have been offered exclusively with a five-speed manual transmission, but that’s about to change when the 2015 models roll out.

Starting in July, Fiat will begin offering the 500 Turbo and Abarth models with an optional six-speed automatic in the U.S. and Canada. According to Fiat North America head Jason Stoicevich, the missing automatic is the reason why customers turn down the Abarth.

“Frankly, [young people] just don’t drive a manual transmission,” Stoicevich told Automotive News. He expects the six-speed automatic gearbox to boost sales as much as 50 per cent. Currently, the Abarth accounts for 15 per cent of 500 sales in the U.S.

In addition to the automatic, certain 500 models will also receive a seven-inch display in the instrument cluster, with the ability to display performance and diagnostic information.